


The Hazards of Love & Dating

by AgentHop



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Dreamworks Trolls, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-08-30 04:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8518480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentHop/pseuds/AgentHop
Summary: Branch attempts to plan an absolutely perfect date with Poppy, and naturally Poppy dislodges the whole thing with a spontaneous adventure.





	1. Troll with a Plan

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't post fan fiction in ages, but writing something this fluffy just feels necessary right now. Enjoy! (And everyone else - please keep posting cute Broppy fics for me to gush over!)

Branch has never been on a date.

He watched Bridget and King Gristle go on a date, but he never asked a Troll out. He had read about dates, researched about them, and daydreamed about taking a very specific Princess (Queen) Troll on one. But that is where his experience ended.  
He sat in his new bunker, a plan on the wall. Paper was everywhere, string connecting to various ideas, crayon scribbles with such ridiculous details. He stood back to look at his work.

“Not bad, not bad at all Branch,” he crossed his arms and nodded, “With a little luck, and planning, I’ll develop the confidence to actually ask Poppy out on a real date in -.”

He stopped, counting in his head, then on his fingers, “TEN years. Perfect.” He laughed a fake laugh, “I’m … SO pathetic!” He kicked a crayon the ground, it aggressively smacked against the wall and boomeranged back. Branch yelped, ducking down to the ground and the crayon zipped just overhead. He sighed and stood up, brushing himself off.

Asking Poppy out shouldn’t be a big deal, right? In fact, it would be easy as pumpkin pie. He literally already told the Troll of his dreams that he LOVED her. Not like, not crushed on. Love. Maybe that was a mistake? But it had come from his heart. Ever since he was small, he admired her. He adored her, really. Not just because of her beauty, but she was always overwhelmingly kind to everyone. No matter how rude Branch had been to her, she always came back with a cute card inviting him to her next event. They were handmade, flawless in execution, and picked away at his ice-cubed heart.

Branch walked over to a table and picked up a genuine Poppy-made scrapbook. He sat back down on the ground and carefully leafed through it. It was a complete retelling of their adventure. Poppy had given it to him just the other day. Wrapped in a pretty bow, it was left right outside his new home. “To My Branch”, the inscription had said, “<3, Poppy”.

The scrapbook was lovingly made, like all of Poppy’s scrapbooks. Every little moment was captured in felt. He got to the page where all of the Trolls were grey. Sadness considerably apparent, despite how cute she made everyone look. He pulled a tab. A bit of glitter spat up, Branch & Poppy were now in color, dancing around, hearts everywhere. He smiled.

At the very end of the book, Poppy and Branch were hugging on a platform. Their happy ending seemed obvious.

It had been a couple of weeks since that moment. The Trolls had gone back and forth between their former home and their regained new home. The Bergens were helpful, but it was still a ton of work. Everyone picked out their spots in the tree, and Branch went for a location around the roots. He just felt safe in a bunker-like home. Poppy built her own home towards the top, next door to her father. There had been a lot of chaos in these weeks, and everyone was only now beginning to adjust to their new locations.

The two had only seen each other in passing. Shared smiles across a sea of Troll friends. It shouldn’t be so difficult, it should be painfully obvious by now that they were going to date, but Branch couldn’t help but swim in his own self doubt. Maybe she didn’t love him back? Maybe she was reconsidering the whole thing? Maybe being appointed to Queen forced her to rethink everything? After all, Poppy would eventually marry, right? And that person would become King. And who would even want Branch as a King?

In the middle of his overwhelming sea of self doubt, his doorbell rang. He yelped loudly, dropping the scrapbook and running for the door. He peeked through and saw a beautiful Queen bouncing in place, her smile warm and full of joy. The very sight of her melted his entire soul.

He opened the door, Poppy bounded in without asking for permission, naturally.

“Branch! It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” She began to walk around, picking up things and flipping through his various journals, “I was thinking - hey Branch and I haven’t talked since all this moving business started and gee I probably should check to make sure he hasn’t been eaten or locked himself up,” she chuckled as she continued to be nosy.

He hesitated as she leafed through his things, “Yeah. No. Yeah. I haven’t been eaten. How - how are you?”

She smirked, “I’m great. I’ve absolutely perfected my new home. Organized my crafting table, put up some new photos, picked out the cutest bed sheets …” she paused as she spotted her scrapbook on the ground. She ignored whatever she was leafing through to pick it up, “Oh! The scrapbook I made you!” She smiled and eyed Branch.

He gulped, “Th-thank you for that. The scrapbook.”

She smiled, quite satisfied, “I hope you like it. I spent ages on it. I’m quite proud, might be the best one I’ve made yet!” Poppy stepped closer to Branch, her confidence was radiant. She opened the book to the last page, showing the hugging Branch and Poppy atop the platform.

He nodded, looking at their felt figures, he couldn’t breathe. Poppy’s eyes became half lidded. Branch wouldn’t look directly at her, but her eyes still managed to dig right into his heart anyways.

“How about - we continue the next chapter?”

Branch’s eyebrows raised and he looked at her cautiously. She smirks and winks.

“Yes. Sure, but … sorry could you explain what you mean by -”

Poppy chuckled, and closed the book, “Pick me up tonight at 7PM?” She handed it back to him and his jaw hung considerably slacked. She inched closer to him, took her index finger, and softly pushed his chin up till his mouth closed.

He blinked, “Sure. Yes. Absolutely. I’ll … I’ll plan something. Something nice.”

Poppy’s eyes lit up, she put her hands behind her back and shrugged sweetly, “Plan it. Or don’t plan it. You can occasionally be spontaneous, right Branch?”

He didn’t respond, but it didn’t matter, the Queen was out of his place a moment later, “See you tonight! I’m looking forward to it!”

The door shut. Branch screamed and ran in a circle for a solid five minutes.

Then he sat down, and made a plan. A plan to be spontaneous.

What could go wrong?


	2. Plan It Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branch loves planning, yo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took forever. More coming ASAP.

Branch loves to plan. Seriously, it’s kind of problem.

For a moment he looked at his wall of chaotic plans that only existed to indicate when he should ask Poppy out. Now that was unnecessary, she made the first move, so it was time to move forward. In one swoop, he took down all his notes, papers, and strings. He threw them into a big ball and out they went, straight into the trash.

“Alright, time to start over. Operation: Perfect Date!” Branch waved his arms out like he could see it all right in front of him.

_ Five minutes later. _

Branch still stood there with his arms wide open, and panic suddenly set in. He began to pace and stress and anxiety holy cow.

“You can do this, Branch. Just think of something that Poppy likes, and plan an evening around it! Spontaneously! What does Poppy like?” He paused. “I mean - besides EVERYTHING. Literally everything. She likes dancing and singing and scrapbooks and knitting and sewing and baking and,” he takes a deep breath and shook his head, “Besides the point. She apparently likes ME.”

He smiled warmly at the thought, Poppy liked him. Certainly enough to accept his feelings towards her, and enough to ask him out. 

Snap out of it, Branch!  
  
“If I want Poppy to KEEP liking me, tonight has to be perfect. And spontaneous. How the heck do I plan spontaneity?”

He groaned and grabbed another piece of paper, scribbled a drawing of Poppy, and pinned it up to the wall.

Time passes, the sun lowers in the sky, the clock ticks away. He is still scribbling ideas, crayon is everywhere, post-it notes in his hair, red string everywhere. Branch backs up to wipe his hands and look at his master piece.

A perfectly unreadable mess sits on the wall. It looks identical to the mess on the wall from earlier, but I suppose this mess somehow describes Branch and Poppy’s date, instead of how he intended to ask her out.

The clock on his wall hits 7 PM, a colorful looking cuckoo-clock-esque bird pops out to SQUEAK. Branch looks up to see the time and momentarily his brain breaks. 

He screams and dives into the restroom, “LATE LATE LATE!”   
  
In a flash he takes a shower, brushes his teeth, combs his hair, and flops out of his closet in the only outfit he owns without a dirt aesthetic. He rushes out the door, yanking some flowers out of the ground in progress.  
  
Branch made his way up the tree, already embarrassed at being late, and forgetting that climb up to Poppy’s home would render his recent shower completely useless. Why hadn’t he installed an elevator yet? 

He climb and huffed as he passed by his neighbors, “Note to self: Elevator from my bunker to Poppy’s home. Or a portal. Or something.” He wheezed as he grabbed a branch.  
  
He hung there for a moment to catch his breath.  
  
SNAP!  
  
Branch screamed as he crashed down the tree, passing by all of Poppy’s friends along the way.

He passed by Biggie, who was hanging a tree ornament, “Oh hello Branch!” He watched Branch continue to fall, “Aren’t you going to be late for your date with Poppy?”  
  
And DJ Suki who was trying out some sweet tunes, “Branch! Dude! Poppy is at the top of the tree!”

Satin and Chenille. Guy Diamond. Until finally - plop!

Branch wheezed as he sat up, “Did she tell - EVERYONE about our date?”

“Well of course! Poppy tells everyone when she’s happy and excited!” Branch bounced up in surprise, realizing he had landed in a pair of hands. He exhaled with relief when he saw who the hands belonged to.  
  
“Hello Bridget!”  
  
She smiled widely, “I can’t wait for you guys to go on a double date with King Gristle and I!”  
  
He chuckled, and then immediately hesitated, “Wait - you mean tonight?”

“Oh gosh no! No no! Poppy meant in the future!” She giggled as he relaxed, and then his cheeks immediately began to burn.  
  
“She - she already wants to go on future dates with me?”

Bridget smirked and teased, “Well maybe not if you show up super late to the first one!”

Panic! She’s right! He was already super late!

He began to pace, “I messed up! I messed up! I knew I should have put the elevator in first, and planned this whole thing out better -” Bridget plucked Branch by the head and turned him to face her.  
  
“I’m … I’m just kidding, Branch. Poppy really likes you. You got this!” Her smile was genuine.  
  
Branch fiddled with his slightly misshapen bow tie, “You think so?” He pulled a couple of leaves out of his hair and grimaced. “I’m crazy about her. I don’t want to mess this one up, you know?”

“I know. Just be yourself. That’s the Branch she fell in love with, right?”

His face turned hot as she chuckled and concluded, “Ok, you’re never getting there at this rate. Need some help?”

He nodded and turned back towards the tree, “Just a little lift would be- aaAAAHH!”

With all of her strength, Bridget tossed Branch into the tree. He screamed all the way through the leaves and branches he hit on the way up. His hair finally caught up with his brain, and he extended his hair towards Poppy’s home. He whipped around and landed at her door. Exhale. Brush yourself off. You can do this!

He held his hand out to knock on her door, but it flung itself open instead. His heart skipped a beat and his mouth gaped open. There stood the prettiest dang Troll in all the kingdom. Poppy wore a longer version of her typical dress, but with a yellow theme. She had actual butterflies trained to sit in her hair. Her smile was as large as watermelon, as was her embrace. 

He was stunned by her hug. She smelled like sunshine, was that possible? Her skin was smooth, and everything felt perfect. He hadn’t really hugged her in a few weeks, and my god he couldn’t imagine going another minute without doing it again. How had he gone so many years without hugging her?

Poppy broke the hug first. She backed up and placed her hands on his shoulders, smiling warmly at her date, “Took you long enough! Thankfully our friends warned me about your delay!”  
  
“How -,” he shook his head, “Hello. You look - amazing.” He blushed deeply as she giggled. And then he remembered the flowers, “Oh! I got you - uh - “ He pulled out the remains of some daisies that he had hid behind his back. After various falls through the tree, only one remained, “Sorry, got a little dangerous coming up - and down - and up the tree,” his eyes widened with embarrassment.  
  
“No sorries from you, mister!” She laughed and plucked the remaining flower from his hand. She places it into her hair, and his heart melted. “So - what are we doing tonight?”

Branch freezes, and in that moment, he forgets his entire plan.


End file.
